All first-time freshmen who are “TSI Incomplete” are required to take the Pre-Assessment Activity prior to registering for their TSI Assessment.

Students must complete their PAA online prior to testing registration. Registration for the TSI Assessment may be done online through ASAP after completion has been determined by the Testing Services office.

TSI Test Eligibility Exemptions

Students shall be exempt from the requirements of the Texas Success Initiative who meet or exceed the following criteria (note: some of the exemptions are full and others are partial):

ACT – composite score of 23 with a minimum of 19 on both the English and Mathematics tests. If a student has a combined score of 23 with a minimum of 19 in only one and not both content areas, the student will be exempt in only one area and will be required to take a TSI exam in the other area. (ACT score exemptions are valid for 5 years from the date of test.) Note that the English test covers the TSI areas of reading and writing and the Mathematics test covers the TSI area of mathematics.

SAT – combined Critical Reading and Mathematics score of 1070 with a minimum score of 500 on Critical Reading and Mathematics tests. If a student has a combined score of 1070 with a minimum of 500 in only one and not both content areas, the student will be exempt in only one area and will be required to take a TSI exam in the other area. (SAT score exemptions are valid for 5 years from the date of the test.) Note that the Critical Reading content covers the TSI areas of Reading and Writing and the Mathematics content covers the TSI area of Mathematics. Score requirements: After March 1, 2016: EBRW-480, MATH-530, no composite.

TAKS(exit-level) – 2200 in mathematics and 2200 in English Language Arts (ELA) with a subscore of at least 3. Students who do not meet the exemption criteria in all areas will need to take the TSI Assessment in the areas they did not meet the exemption criteria. Note that the English Language section covers the TSI areas of Reading and Writing and the Mathematics section covers the TSI area of Mathematics. (Valid for 5 years.)

A student who has graduated with an associate or baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution of higher education.

A student who transfers to UTSA from a private or independent institution of higher education or an accredited out-of-state institution of higher education and who has satisfactorily completed college-level coursework as determined by this institution.

A student who has previously attended any Texas public institution of higher education and has been determined to have met readiness standards at that institution.

A student who is serving on active duty as a member of the armed forces of the United States, the Texas National Guard, or as a member of a reserve component for at least a three-year period preceding enrollment.

A student who on or after August 1, 1990 was honorably discharged, retired or released from active duty as a member of the armed forces of the United States or the Texas National Guard or service as a member of a reserve component of the armed forces of the United States.

A student who is non-degree seeking and has earned fewer than 12 credit hours at UTSA.

Texas Success Initiative (TSI)

If you have already taken the TSI exam at another institution, you must grant UTSA Testing Services permission to download your scores at https://tsp.testing.utsa.edu

Registering for the TSI Assessment at UTSA

UTSA administers the TSI Assessment to admitted students who are not exempt by their SAT or ACT test scores prior to their Orientation session for registration purposes at Orientation. (please see list of full exemptions for the TSI)If you live outside the San Antonio area, we highly encourage taking the TSI Assessment at another College Board authorized center so that your scores will be at UTSA in time for your registration at Orientation (See Remote site testing information here).

Step 2: Take the PreAssessment Activity (PAA) for testing at UTSA or go to the website of the location where you will test. If you intend to test remotely, you must select UTSA as your institution, not the center at which you will take the exam.

Step 3: Register for the TSI exam on ASAP under the Test Registration link if testing at UTSA. Please note that we have two locations: the Main Campus and Downtown, so be sure to register for the campus at which you intend to test.

Step 4: On test day, you must present a valid, non-expired ID with a clear, recognizable photo (no scans or photocopies allowed). Please allocate enough time for testing, as your student account will be charged for every testing session.

If you are taking the TSI at UTSA to improve your score or to register at Orientation, be sure to sign up for the morning session exam the first day, if not weeks prior, to your intended Orientation date.

UTSA Mathematics Placement

UTSA students wanting to skip College Algebra and register for Pre-calculus or Calculus their first semester must take the Pre-calculus/Calculus Math Placement Exam. This applies to certain majors (Science and Engineering majors, in particular) that require higher-level math courses in order to fulfill their degree requirements.

You must be TSI Exempt or TSI Complete in Math in order to take the Math Placement Exam. If you pass the Math Placement Exam, you will be able to enroll in MAT 1093 or MAT 1214.

Who Is Eligible to take the Math Placement Exam?

UTSA students wishing to enroll in MAT 1093 (Pre-Calculus) or MAT 1214 (Calculus) and who have met at least one of the score criteria on the following national tests (see list below) must take and pass the Math Placement Exam prior to registering for Pre-Calculus or Calculus during Orientation.

Students who receive a score of 350 or higher on the math section of the TSI Assessment exam.

Students with an exit-level TAKS mathematics score of 2200 or higher.

Students with a combined SAT score of at least 1070 (Critical Reading and Mathematics Only) and at least 500 on the mathematics.

Students with a composite ACT score of 23 and a minimum of 19 on the mathematics section.

What do I need to know about the Math Placement exam?

Students should take the exam prior to attending Orientation if Precalculus or Calculus course placement is needed and cannot be obtained by dual credit or AP credit in the system.

The fee for the exam is $20, which is charged to the student’s UTSA account.

No outside calculators are allowed. The Testing Services office will provide the four-function calculator allowed during the exam.

Please log into ASAP to sign up for a Math Placement exam. No walk-in slots are available.

Bring a valid, physical, photo ID such as a driver’s license, student ID, or passport. No expired IDs are allowed.

The test may be taken twice. However, it is a different version each time. Do not take the exam a second time prior to considering either Jump Start or Math Boot Camp to raise your skill set and opportunity of placing higher on your second attempt.

It is HIGHLY SUGGESTED that all examinees take the sample Math Placement exam below prior to signing up for the actual exam.

Remote Math Placement

Do you need to take the Pre-calculus/Calculus Math Placement test?

Are you TSI met in Math?

Do you live at least 100 miles from the city limits of San Antonio?

If you answered “yes” to the three questions above, then you may qualify to take the Remote Math Placement exam. Please follow the steps below to register for this test.

Step 1

Log into your UTSA ASAP account (asap.utsa.edu).

Click the “Student Services” tab at the top of the screen.

Select “Testing Services Office (Test Registration).”

Click the “continue” icon until you arrive at a screen labeled “Testing Services.”

Select “Register for TEST Session.”

Choose “Remote Math Placement” from the list of options.

NOTE: Do not complete your registration just yet. Please read on.

Step 2

Review the time and date options available (all times are CST).

Locate a proctor that is willing to administer the test at the date and time you prefer.

NOTE: A proctor cannot be a relative or your math teacher. The proctor must be a neutral party with only a professional educational relationship with you or your family. Common proctors are guidance counselors and teachers in a subject area other than math (e.g. science, physical education).

Complete your registration information on ASAP.

Step 3

Send the following information via email to testinfo@utsa.edu. You must title the email “Remote Math Request.” Failure to do so may result in a delayed response.The Proctor Security Agreement and Acknowledgement form to be completed in full by your proctor and the Remote Math Placement disclaimer to be completed by you. You must attach these documents to your email request. We cannot process your request without them.

The body of the email must include the following:

Your full name, UTSA ID number, and phone number with area code.

Your proctor’s full name, professional email address, and professional phone number with area code. For security reasons, we cannot correspond with proctors via non-professional email domains such as Yahoo, Hotmail, and Gmail.

A UTSA Testing Services staff member will then determine your eligibility to take the Remote Math Placement. If you qualify, then the staff member will contact your proctor one business day before the scheduled exam with instructions on how to administer the test.

Your scores will be available on ASAP no later than two business days after taking the exam. Please refer to this flier for information regarding score cutoffs and placements.

Important: The Remote Math Placement is available only for first-attempt Math Placement examinees. If you need to take the Alternate Math Placement, then please log into your ASAP student account and select a date/time to take the test at UTSA.

Please note that failure to follow the procedures listed above will disqualify you from taking the Remote Math Placement. If you are eligible to take the Pre-calculus/Calculus Placement Exam, then you may register for a date on ASAP and take it at the Main or Downtown UTSA campus. We offer proctored sessions in our office year round.

Study Suggestions

The included Sample Math Placement Exam will give students a good idea of how they will perform on the actual placement exam. Students should use only a four-function calculator and limit their time to 90 minutes for an accurate assessment. Sample answers

Would you like to sharpen your skills in mathematics? Would you like to increase your chance of success in college math courses?

For students whose math skills are a little rusty, The Department of Mathematics offers Jump Start.

Jump Start is a faster paced program for students who took the Math Placement exam and scored just under the acceptable score for entrance into MAT 1093 or 1214.

Math Jump Start programs are led by our Math faculty, and their goal is to prepare participants for success in their future math courses, not to simply pass a test. The knowledge that needs to be built or refreshed with the participants will be cemented during their time with the Jump Start faculty.

You must have taken the Math Placement exam and not scored at a level you are satisfied with in order to enroll in Jump Start.

Chemistry Placement

Chemistry Placement

NEW Chemistry Policy Effective for Fall 2018 Course Registration

Chemistry placement will no longer be used to place students into General Chemistry (CHE 1103) as of Fall 2018 course registration. Summer 2018 courses are still required to follow the chemistry placement exam policy detailed below. Fall 2018 registration Chemistry placement will be determined by the following:

Completion of Algebra for Scientists and Engineers (MAT 1073) with a grade of at least a “C-” will serve as a prerequisite.

Placement into Pre-Calculus (MAT 1093) through the UTSA math placement exam or the ALEKS math placement exam at UTSA will serve as a prerequisite satisfaction.

A grade of “C-” or better in Basic Chemistry (CHE 1073).

AP credit for MAT 1093, 1214 or CHE 1073 will serve as a prerequisite satisfaction sufficient for enrollment in General Chemistry (CHE 1103).

If one of the aforementioned prerequisites is not met in the Banner system then the student will not be allowed to register for General Chemistry I (CHE 1103).

Students wishing to enroll in General Chemistry (CHE 1103) for one of the Summer 2018 terms, must take and pass the Chemistry Placement exam prior to registering for the class.

This test may be taken only once, so come prepared!

The fee for Chemistry Placement is $20 and is charged to the student’s UTSA account immediately following the test.

A scientific non-graphing calculator is permitted.

Log into ASAP to sign up for the Chemistry Placement exam; no walk-in slots are available. Students have 90 minutes to complete the exam.

If a student does not achieve the passing score of 21 out of 30 questions, he or she will be placed in Basic Chemistry (CHE 1073).